Fifth-wheel.



J. A. MOXEY.

FIFTH WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED 001. 24. 1913.

1,139,703. Patented May 18, 1915.

Jizmea/Z/foxey THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D, C.

'* annr JAMES A. MOXEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIs, AssIeNon To INTERNATIONAL HAnvEsTEn CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

Application filed October 24, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMEs A. MOXEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to fifth wheels.

Among users of the lighter types of horse drawn vehicles, known as farm wagons, a gradual demand has arisen for fifth wheels. Such a wheel, to, be practical, must have as prime essentials simplicity, durability and economy of construction without sacrificing in any Way the important advantages of the more expensive forms of fifth wheels.

It is the object ofmy invention to provide a fifth wheel admirably suited for such uses, and to improvethe design, construction and operationof a device of this class in a manner to render it sparingly requisite in the use of material,highly efficient in the performance of its functions, and inherently strong and rugged in formation.

Moreover, it is my object to .produce such a device which will be capable of attachment to a vehicle without the necessity of employing further fastening means than the bolts'ordinarily used for securing the wearing plates'to the sandboard and bolster, and in this way. to maintain unimpaired the natural strength of the bolster and sandboard by reason of the absence of extra bolt holes and the like; and finally it is my object to so arrange the fifth wheel with re lation tothe sandboard and bolster of the vehicle that a general distribution of the strain will result and thereby danger of the metal in the fifth wheel cutting into the wooden, bolster and sandboard at over-burdened points will be eliminated.

These objects I accomplish by means of" two peculiarly formed plate members constituting the fifth wheel, which cooperate in a novel manner with the wearing plates of the bolster and sandboard to produce a smooth continuous bearing surface, and also cooperate directly with the sandboard and bolster to engage the vertical sides thereof and securely reinforce the same, obtaining in an effective manner. an equal distribution of strain on these parts.

Specification of Letters Latent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Serial No. 797,039. 7

shows a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a vertical central longitudinal sectionalview of a bolster and sandboard having my device applied thereto; and Fig. 5 shows a detached plan view of one of the wheel mem-. bers of my improved fifth wheel.

In the drawings is shown a portion of a front axle 10, a sandboard 11 carried on the axle, and a. bolster 12 mounted onthesandboard, all of said parts being connected together in the ordinary way by means of a king bolt 13. Wearing plates 14 are provided for the adjacent surfaces of the bolster and sandboard, and for securing these plates in proper position the usual bolts 15, vertically extended through the bolster or through the sandboard, are provided.

The fifth wheel comprises two parts, an upper member 16 and a lower member 17, similar in shape. The body portion 18 of each of these members is ring shaped, and at diametrically opposite points thereon depress ions 19 are formed that receive the wearing plates 14;, and thus a smooth continuous bearing surface is effected. In the present instance these depressions are in the form of offset portions, and the adjacent bolster and sandboard members are I slotted in order to accommodate said offset portions which, it will be seen, occupy positions between the wearing plate and the bolster in one case and the wearing plate and sandboardin the other. Centrally of each ring are two right angular walls 20, spaced apart to receive between them the bolster or sandboard,as the case may be, and strengthening ribs 21 are extendedbetween the right angular walls and the adja- Y arranging the plate members of the Y portions of each of the wheel members to.

receive said bolts. lhe right angular wall members 20, it will be noted, securely embrace the vertical surfaces of the bolster and sandboard and, because of the large area.

By an ingenious arrangement the ring portions are made to cooperate with the wearing plates, and much material is thereby saved in the construction of the wheels. The wall members, with their strengthening ribs,

make for a sturdy construction of the entire device, and by having them embrace the bolster and sandboard, these latter are so effectively reinforced that the need of extra bolts is overcome and the whole designls so planned that the same bolts used for securing the Wearing plates in position can-be utilized as the sole fastening means for the fifth wheel. Much that is undesirable in the practical application of fifth wheels is'thereby done away with, for it is well-known that to provideopenings for bolts, or to drive screws into the wooden parts, tends only to weaken the none too durable strength of the V I bolster and sandboard. The large openings formed in the central'portions ofthesandboard and bolster to receive the'king bolt naturally render those members weakest at these and adjacent points, and it'is here that a majority of the breakage occurs in wagons, In my device much of this breakage is prevented by the wall members, which have the efiect of ironing and thereby reinforcing 7 said bolster'and sandboard at the critical points thereon. 'With the vertical wall mem fbers 20 held securelyagainst the bolster and sandboard andcovering a large area of their 7 surfaces, a maximum distribution of the strain is secured as distinguished from the concentrated strain applied by other devices of this class. Cutting into the wood and excessive wear on. vital parts of the bolster and sandboard are therefore not'present in my device. fact worthy 'of notice is that my device is admirably adapted for ordinary farm wagons which, as is wellknown,'have reached a standard in construction that nearer fapproaches uniformity than that of any otherline of vehicles now in use. There fore, by producing a fifth wheel that will cooperate with the bolster, sandboard and wearing plates, and be held inplace by the same fastening means as used for these Wearing plates, and by embracing the vertical surfaces of the adjacent wooden parts securely reinforce them, I have not achieved an isolated design with limited uses, but,

on the contrary, a device results which, with but a. few slight changes in dimensions, will.

have a general and universal application to farm wagons.

While I have shown and described but one form of my device, it is obvious that it is susceptible of many modifications, and therefore changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent,'is:

1. In a vehicle, a bolster,-a sandboard, wearmg plates .forthe adjacent surfaces thereof, and; an upper and a lower wheel member cooperating with the surfacesof said wearing platesto form a fifth wheel.

2. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard, wearing plates for the adjacent surfaces thereof, and ELIL'LIPPGI and a lower wheel member extending between said bolsterand sandboard to either side'thereof and forming smooth bearing surfaces with said Wearing plates. 7 I 3. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard,

wearing plates for the adjacent surfaces thereof, and an upper and a-lower wheel member extending betweensaid bolster and sandboard to either side thereof and formmg smooth bearing surfaces with said wearing plates and held in .position by said wearing plates-- 1 4. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard,

wearing plates therefor, fasteningmeans for in lace b said fastenin means.

5. In a vehicle, a bolster, a s ndboard,

wearing plates therefor, a king bolt, bolts at either side of said king bolt for holding wheel held in place by said bolts; j

.105 i the wearing plates in position, and a fifth I 6. In a vehicle, a bolster, asandboa'rd,

wearing plates therefor, an upper and a lower wheel member extending between the 'wearing plates and the adjacent sandboard orbolster. I

7. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard, wearing plates therefor, a fifth wheel comprising upper and lower members extended between the wearing plates and the adjacent sandboard or bolster, and bolts extended through said bolster or sandboardforhold.

ing the wearing plates and wheel members in position. I I I 8. In a vehicle, a. bolster, a sandboard,

prising upper and lower members extended between the wearing plates and the adjacent'sandboard or bolster and provided with depressed portions to receive the wearing plates and effect a smooth bearing surface therewith.

9. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard, wearing plates therefor, a fifth wheel com- I wearing plates therefor, a fifth wheelcom I 100 said wearing plates, and a fifth wheelheld prising upper and lower wheel members extended between the wearing plates and the adjacent bolster or sandboard and having depressed portions to effect a smoothbearing, surface with said bearing plates, and fastening means extending through said depressed portions and into the adjacent sandboard or bolster for holding said wheel members in position. 7

10. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard,

a king bolt for said bolster and sandboard,

' members each provided with diametrically extending wall portions open at their lower ends and arranged to embrace opposite sides 7 of said bolster or sandboard in a manner to permit the king bolt to reside between them, and strengthening ribsextending between the wall portions and 'annuli of the ring-shaped members.

12. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard,

' wearing plates therefor, a fifth wheel comprising two ring-shaped members each provided with wall portions to embrace opposite sides of said bolster or sandboard and provided with depressed portions to coact with said wearing plates, and bolts extending through said sandboard or bolster for holding said wheel members in position.

13. In a vehicle, a bolster, a sandboard, I

wearing plates therefor, a fifth wheel comprising two members each provided with, wall portions to embrace opposite sides of.

said bolster or sandboard, said wheel members cooperating with the wearing plates to form continuous smooth bearing surfaces and held in position by the same fastening means employed for the wearing plates.

14. A fifth wheel comprising two members each including a ring portion having depressed surfaces at diametrically opposite points thereon.

15. A fifth wheel comprising two members each including a ring portion having its annulus depressed at opposite points,-

and spaced wall members arranged centrally thereon. p

16. A fifth wheel comprising two members each including a ring portion having its annulus depressed at opposite points,

and spaced wall members arranged centrally thereon, and strengthening ribs extending between said wall members and adjacent part of the ring portion.

17. A fifth wheel comprising two members each having a ring portion with depressed surfaces at opposite points thereon,

spaced wall members centrally arranged thereon, and strengthening ribs extending between the wall members and adjacent part of the ring portion, said depressed portions being provided with openings to receive fastening means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. MOXEY. Witnesses:

WILLIAM I. POWER, 0. TANIS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

